Konoha's Elite Ninja - The Hunter and the Cub
by NZWriter7
Summary: In the Land of Fire there is a village that is home to the most elite fighters of the world; the Village Hidden in the Leaves. It is renowned for producing high-level shinobi, with talents varying in all areas of the ninja arts. With a boy who dreams of being Hokage, another bent on revenge and a young girl with dreams of being a great kunoichi, the future looks very promising...
1. Chapter 1

**Konoha's Elite Ninja - The Hunter and the Cub**

**I do not own Naruto, nor any of its characters. They are all product and property of ****Masashi Kishimoto****.**

**I do, however, own all original characters, created with permission of my friends to add them in the story.**

_In the Land of Fire there is a village that is home to the most elite fighters of the world; the Village Hidden in the Leaves, also known as Konohagakure. It is renowned for producing high-level shinobi, with talents varying in all areas of the ninja arts. The beginning for all of these promising warriors was the Academy in which even the young are trained from an early age, and prepared themselves for their days as ninja. There are many students in the Academy, all in different levels of their teaching years. Within the last year of her controlled teachings was a very promising student…_

**Kisa's POV**

My name is Kisa and I am a genin-in-training at the Ninja Academy within the great Hidden Leaf Village in the Land of Fire. I am twelve years of age with (apparently) striking blue eyes and long, thick blonde hair that I often tie back to keep out my way. Many people say I should simply cut it, but I have spent many years growing my hair and am proud of how long it is. I refuse to let any form of blade near it, other than to trim the ends. Many people say that I bare an uncanny resemblance to the legendary kunoichi Lady Tsunade and it is true. The simple fact of the matter is that she is my blood relation and rather than looking like either of my parents I look like her. Go figure.

I will admit that I mostly wear pink, as it is my favourite colour, but I like to think that it is a tasteful shade that I wear. Around my neck, however, is a light baby blue choker that was a present from my parents the day I started at the Academy. I never take it off.

"_This is so completely boring… I wonder how long it is going to take this time…"_

Right now I am sitting in class awaiting the return of my teacher, as well as the misfit student known throughout the village, Naruto Uzumaki. Once again he has gone on the rampage, skipping class and causing Kami knows what trouble. For all I found his pranks to often be quite funny, I will admit, they did also tend to get a little tiresome from time to time, especially when it was taking away from precious study time. This I found to be annoying and certainly it annoyed my classmate and long-time friend Saskue Uchiha. He was this year's number one rookie and the heart throb of every young girl in Konoha. That is one of the reasons that he and I are what you could call best friends, I am one of the only girls in this village that wouldn't throw themselves at him just for the mere chance that he might pay me some attention. I'm no love-sick puppy, no sir. Sure, I will admit that he is undoubtedly attractive, but I'm just not interested in him that way. I value him much more as a friend and there is much more to be gained from that, too.

Anyway, back on topic. We are still waiting, and while the rest of the class seem to be happy to take advantage of the teacher's absence to do what they will, I am beginning to get quite annoyed. I value my education as much as my free time.

"This is taking a while. I could be practising my taijutsu, rather than sitting here without a thing to do" I sighed out loud, having finished the temporary paper work we had been assigned in the meantime.

"I agree, this is a complete waste of time," Saskue muttered only loud enough for me to hear, with his chin resting on top of his joined hands.

"_Well, at least this will give me a chance to catch up on my drawing, I suppose"_

Reaching into the bag at my feet and bringing out the sketchbook I always had on me, I flipped through it until I came to my current work and set it down to begin. This sketchbook is filled with all my work. My speciality lies in drawing portraits of people. I was such a perfectionist for detail and often wasn't satisfied until my drawings looked almost like the real subject. Now that I am training to be a ninja I am trying to develop a jutsu that will allow me to combine my talent with my power, but it is so far more than just slow going. I just wasn't skilled enough yet, I guess, but one day I will be. Hopefully I will get a Sensei who will be able to help me with this.

"_I wonder who I will get. Whoever it is, I hope they are strong. Otherwise they might not be able to keep up!"_

It's not that I'm cocky or over-confident, don't get me wrong. It is more the fact that I can be highly energetic and have a blood line that ensures me great success as a ninja, so I'm told. Therefore it is a matter of logic. I wish for a strong teacher so that I will be able to learn to use my power to its fullest potential. Not that having a strong teacher was a problem in the Leaf Village, but there were always those who were stronger than the rest.

Back to my drawings: they are not what you may class as normal. I do draw the occasional landscape or still life for fun, but most of the time, as I have mentioned, they are drawings of people, or situations. Often I have dreams wherein I see these people, but they do not have faces. After seeing them I draw them in my sketchbook with as much detail to the body as I can, while I have no choice but to leave the face blank. What is so special about this, however, is that they are not just dreams. Nine out of ten times I will wind up meeting the very person I dreamed of in the exact situation that I later drew, and it is at this time that I am able to add the face to the body in my drawing, thus completing the picture. Some people find this to be a frightening ability, but I find it fascinating and quite handy. It's almost like being able to see the future.

Lately I have been seeing the same woman in my dreams every night, and always in different situations. I know it's her, though, because the details never change: a tall woman with dead straight and long black hair and she always wore black and red clothes. The style of the clothes tended to change, but I drew the one that I saw her in most frequently. Naturally, though, there was no face so I could not yet tell who she was. However, even in my dreams, I could sense that she was someone powerful with a commanding presence. She was almost dark, but at the same time welcoming… in other words, complicated.

"That one's looking good" Saskue commented idly as he glances at the drawing of the woman over my shoulder with mild interest. In response I smile at him with my eyes closed.

"Thanks. You don't recognise who it might be, do you?" I asked hopefully. Sometimes even when I couldn't tell who it was another person could, but it seemed this time I was out of luck as Saskue shook his head. Sighing in defeat at that idea, I then turned to face the front along with him as our teacher, Iruka Umino, reappeared with a bound Naruto under his arm and set the boy on the floor, who was looking stubbornly to the side as he received his usual lecture.

"_Oh, Naruto, you really are a goofball…"_

**FF to meeting the sensei**

It has been a few long years of blood, sweat and tears over my studies, but now I am officially a genin. I passed the graduation exam without a hitch, I'm happy to say, though I definitely couldn't say the same for Naruto. He had failed once again, for the third year in a row. Then he had been tricked into stealing the Scroll of Sealing in an attempt to finally prove himself. I felt for him; I knew how badly he wanted to be a ninja and climb the ranks to Hokage. But his crime led to a mass man hunt, and for a while I was worried for him, until I heard that the current Hokage had called it off and all was forgiven. He even returned to the village proudly sporting the headband of the Leaf on his forehead! I'm not sure exactly what happened that day, but no doubt I will hear of it eventually. All I can say is that I am proud of him and I could tell he was pretty well pleased with himself, too, when I saw him sitting in the classroom with a big grin on his foxy face.

"Congratulations, Nauto! I'm so glad you graduated this year~" I said down to him, literally patting him on the back as I sat behind him. Though most everyone else in the village looked on him in fear and rejection, shunning him for often unknown reason, I did not. After all, he was a human being like any of the rest of us, and a young boy who only sought the attention he was starved and the respect he didn't receive even when he earned it. Other than Saskue he was my other best friend, one that I could spend my time with happily and I often went to the Ramen shop with him. When everyone else turned away I, along with the Hokage, was there for him no matter what.

Now it was time for all of us to be placed into teams and assigned our Sensei's. I felt so sorry for my two best friends when Iruka Sensei announced that they were to be in the same team, along with Sakura Haruno. I did like Sakura, but sometimes her obsession with Saskue went far too over the top and I just wanted to stuff cotton in her mouth to shut her up. Still, they would make a great team, if they could overcome their differences, I'm sure.

Patiently I waited while one by one the teams were called. My fellow classmates were either happy, indifferent or appalled at their selected teammates. Too bad, they would just have to live with it.

Suddenly Iruka Sensei announced that those were all the teams, and my stomach felt like someone had poured lead into it. I wasn't on a team? My name certainly hadn't been called… What was going on? Saskue was looking at me with a slightly surprised expression and I spared him a glance before I stood and raised my hand, gaining Iruka's attention.

"Um, excuse me, Irkua Sensei?" I called out, not in the least bit timid, though certainly now more nervous than I was before. "But you didn't call my name at all. What team and I to be in?"

Iuka looked at me for the longest moment with a blank expression, and my nerves only continued to grow as I began to think the worst. Then my hopes and my stomach sank as one as he spoke.

"Kisa, you aren't in a team" he said as easily as if he were speaking of the weather, like it was obvious.

A shocked and even scared expression came to my face as I sat down heavily then. Everyone was looking at me in their different ways, but I paid them no heed. Not in a team? Surely I had heard him wrong, or there was a mistake on the lists? This couldn't be right…

"What do you mean she's not in a team?! I don't believe this! Iruka Sensei, you don't know what you're saying!" Naruto suddenly yelled as he got to his feet and pounded the table with his fist as he glared dangerously at our teacher. Even Saskue was giving him the evil eye and it certainly fell under the category 'if looks could kill'.

"Sit down, Naruto, and give me a moment o fully explain, if you please" Iruka sighed while folding his arms over his chest and abruptly smiling. "Kisa, it is true that you are not in a team, but don't panic. It is not a mistake. You see, there are an uneven number of student in this class, teams are made of three and you came up as the odd one out. This was on purpose. Your talents are unique and call for unique training. Therefore you are to be singular student with a sensei especially hand picked to train you. You will find that you will often join other teams in training and on missions as your sensei wills it, but your training will be one-on-one"

"_I'm… going to be a lone student?"_ I thought, turning this thought over in my mind as I tried to process its meaning. As it started to sink in a smile began to spread on my face until it was a full-on grin and my eyes shone. This was a greater privilege than I had dreamed of and just the opportunity I had always dreamed of. Yes, I was definitely happy now. Iruka could obviously tell this, too, as that signalled the end of our time with him as our teacher and we were sent for a break while we would await our Sensei's. Now I really couldn't wait to see who I got~!

**Shirnah's POV**

It has been so long since I have walked through these gates, the gates of my home: the Leaf Village. Somehow I almost feel awkward, since I can't help but wonder how much has changed and will those I wish to still remember me? I have been away on my mission for two years, longer than anticipated, and it almost scares me to contemplate what people might think on seeing me. Hopefully my friends will still remember me.

I am a distant member of what is now Konoha's most powerful family. That's right, I am a Hyuuga, but I am not overly acknowledged by the clan as such. There is one or two who accept me. I bare the tell-tale long and straight black hair and pupil-less white eyes. To top all that off, I am a jounin, formerly an ANBU captain. I resigned only a few years ago after my rise through the ranks, for reasons that are my own to keep.

So now here I am, setting my first toe through the gates of my home in two years, give or take a few months, and wondering who will be on duty. Looking around for them I soon spot two familiar faces and chuckle. It will be interesting to see if they remember me, though it takes a while for them to even notice me as I go stand before the desk patiently.

"Ah, welcome to Konoha. Please state your name, rank and purp-" One of them began to say as he slowly looked up form his papers in boredom, but then his eyes shot wide and his jaw dropped in disbelief. I wasn't sure whether to be amused or worried at that reaction.

"No way. Shirnah? Is that really you?"

Laughing outright now, I nodded and mock saluted the two as the other man also looked up and a grin slowly spread to both of their faces. Both chunin got to their feet and jumped the desk to engulf me in one of their signature crushing hugs, until eventually I was able to get to them to let me breath.

"Good to see you too, Kotetsu, Izumo" I gasped, then grinned and stood with my arms folded.

"So you're finally back. You haven't changed at all. Well, not all that much" Izumo commented. Being the sharper of the two he obviously saw something in my eyes that was different to when I left. Outwardly I was the same as ever, but inside was another matter.

"Yes, well… Two years can be an awful long time" Was all I said, the underlying meaning being that I wished not to talk about it. Blockheads on occasion these two may be, but they could certainly take a hint.

"Well, the Hokage has been keeping the order constant at all gates in wait for your return. You are to report to him immediately on your arrival" Kotetsu said as he stuffed one hand in his pocket and scratched the back of his head with the other. "Originally I think it was just about the mission you were on, but now I hear he has a special job for you"

Now that sparked my interest and I raised an eyebrow. "A special job, huh? In that case I better not delay any longer. It was good seeing the two of you again, I'll be sure to stop by for a chat some time when I'm free"

"You better" They said in unison, just before I vanished on the spot. Unlike most ninja, who would disappear in a poof of smoke, I would simply be there one minute and gone the next. Handy on covert missions, I can tell you, and it was one of the reasons I inherited my name. More on that later, though.

My first destination was my own home, so that I could drop off all my gear and change my clothes. I hardly wanted to show up before the Hokage looking like I'd been dragged through the mud. I have my standards, after all. An hour later I was ready to go again and decided to take the open air way of jumping across rooftops to reach the Hokage building. Instead of taking the stairs, I simply jumped up to the nearest window and climbed in before moving to the door behind which I sensed our great leader and the majority of Konoha's jounin. Taking a moment, I breathed in deeply and then knocked firmly, awaiting permission to enter.

"Enter"


	2. Chapter 2

**Konoha's Elite Ninja - The Hunter and the Cub 2**

**I do not own Naruto, nor any of its characters. They are all product and property of ****Masashi Kishimoto****.**

**I do, however, own all original characters, created with permission of my friends to add them in the story.**

**Kakashi's POV**

All of us were gathered in one of the Hokage's private rooms, surrounding the crystal ball he used to oversee the happenings of the village. Currently we were looking at the newly passed genin whom we were to take charge off and test to see who would remain as teams, who would go back to the academy or who wouldn't make it as ninja altogether. I had been appointed to oversee the teaching of Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno and Saskue Uchiha. I could understand the Hokage's reasons for this, but I was still somewhat less than enthused at this point. As of yet, no one had ever passed my test and made it into my team, but perhaps this time would be different. Only time would tell.

After just watching a rather entertaining yet disturbing scene between Naruto and Saskue there came a knock at the door, and all of us turned to face it as the Hokage looked up. All of us were here, surely? I didn't notice anyone missing.

"Enter" The Hokage called and when the door opened to reveal who was on the other side I couldn't help but grin under my mask. Before us all stood Shirnah Hyuuga, after two years of being gone. Barely a thing about her had changed; the white eyes of the Hyuuga clan still burned with passionate fire and as she walked forward she still held herself as tall as ever. The entire time I kept my own lone eye on her, from the moment she stepped in the room, until she was kneeling before the 3rd with a smirk of her own.

"My Lord Hokage, it has been too long," Shirnah said, and her voice was just as I remembered, too, though perhaps a little softer on the ears than before. After all, it used to come through an ANBU mask.

Getting to his feet, Lord Sarutobi reached out a hand and flicked his fingers in a motion to tell her to get to her feet. As she obeyed, the old man was smiling fondly while inspecting her up and down just as the rest of us had, his gaze lingering on her eyes. There was something in them that had changed, and obviously he could see just what.

"Shirnah, it is good to see you home at last. I received your last message and am glad to see that you made it back in relatively one piece…" he stated carefully, indirectly asking what had happened. But the woman merely looked down for a brief moment and then met his gaze again, silently saying she would rather not discuss it. Though that was not the answer he was wishing for, it seemed there was no other option but for the Hokage to accept it, so he sighed and sat back down again.

"Well, now that you are here there is a matter I wish to discuss with you. Later I will ask for your report on your mission, but for now I want you to head over to the Academy with your fellow jounin. You are to become the teacher for one of the newly appointed genin"

My eyebrows rose just as much as Shirnah's did at that point, as well as a couple of others in the room. Asuma Sarutobi and Anko Mitarashi were two of the woman's closest friends, and we all knew for a fact that the outcast Hyuuga had never once taken a student. It wasn't that she's never had the chance, but she was rather choosy about her pupils and so far none had ever met her standards, much like me. There was also the matter that she tended to try and avoid the obligation because of who she was. It seemed this time, though, the Hokage was determined to have her take this student under her wing and as the woman sighed I knew she had given in to his staring her down.

"Oh, very well" she huffed while slouching for a brief moment, and then she stood tall again. "Who, might I ask, are you wishing for me to be teacher?"

Grinning now, the Hokage moved the focus of his crystal ball onto one particular student, a young female with two-toned blonde hair.

"As a matter of fact, I think you will find this to be rather to your liking, Shirnah. The one I wish for you to tutor is none other than the great, great granddaughter of the 2nd Hokage, and cousin to your former sensei-"

"Kisa" The woman finished for him as her eyes stayed locked on the image before her. "I take it your thoughts are that since I was once pupil to Tsunade that I will in turn be a good teacher for her"

"Exactly, her talents are one of a kind and I know that you will be able to utilise those talents properly and turn her into a fine kunoichi. From what I am told she idolises you to as much the same degree as she does her cousin. Imagine her glee at finding out you are her sensei"

Emotional blackmail, that's what that was. Still, it worked. If there was one thing Shirnah could not deny was that she loved a challenge and Kisa would certainly prove to be just that. So it was thus settled and we were dismissed, but just as she was about to leave I heard the Hokage call Shirnah back. Wishing to speak with her myself, I waited a little down the hall for her. My 'team' could wait.

**Kisa's POV**

"_I cannot wait to meet my sensei! I would say that it will probably be a woman, if I am to be a single student. Then again, it could well be a man, but there aren't that many female ninja who teach. But I wonder who it could be?"_

I was sitting back in the classroom where we had all been before lunch. All the other Sensei and groups had come and gone, leaving only me, Naruto, Saskue and Sakura behind. Both our senseis were late and I was beginning to wonder if they would come at all. I mean, it had been an hour already!

Naruto was also getting impatient, of course; it was his nature to be restless and always on the move. So while Saskue and I were quite happily sitting calmly in wait, he was sniggering and standing up on a stool in front of the door. When I looked up to see what he was doing, I was just in time to see him placing the blackboard eraser in the sliding door and closing it in place. I had my doubts over whether any real jounin would fall for such a trick, but then again one could never really know.

It turned out that Naruto wasn't as wrong in thinking that it would work as we would have thought. A hand first came into view to grip the door, then pushed it open slowly. As it the door slid open and a head poked through the eraser began to drop and for a moment I thought for sure that it would work and hit the man, but then suddenly another hand shot out and swatted the eraser away before it could make contact. Coincidentally the eraser then smacked Naruto in the face, leaving a red and dusty mark right between his eyes, which made me laugh until I had tears in my eyes. But then the sound of a woman's voice made me fall quiet, as it did Naruto and Sakura, as we all looked to the door and the two jounin entering.

"You should really learn to pay more attention to your surroundings, Kakashi. Some elite jounin you are, to nearly be hit by an eraser of all things" the woman said. Her voice was light and full of laughter, but it also held authority. So far I could only see her body on profile and the back of her head, but those clothes… It was surely her!

"I'm sorry Sensei, I tried to stop him, but he wouldn't listen. I'd never do anything like that" Sakura started rambling and I rolled my eyes. She had enjoyed the prank just as mush as I had, I knew, she was just trying to act the good girl as usual. My eyes then averted to the male jounin, who had picked up the rebounded eraser and was looking around at us all with his lone lazy eye.

"How can I say this? My first impression of this group… You're a bunch of idiots"

Oh, ouch. I could see the impact that had on the three of my companions, but I wasn't worried. I knew who he was. Kakashi Hatake. I had spoken with him a few times when he had been wondering around and I had been out drawing random things, but I didn't really know him that well. Well enough to know that this was usual behaviour for him, though.

It was then that the woman turned around so that I could see her fully and in an instant I knew two things were certain. Firstly, she was a Hyuuga with the obvious Byakugan eye and dressed and red, silver and black. But she was also the woman I had been seeing lately in my dreams, the one I had been drawing since just before my graduation test. Now there were so many questions running through my mind that I didn't even know which I might ask her first should I get the chance.

"Please be careful who it is that you are calling an idiot, Kakashi. After all, that one is my student, so she is not yours yet to criticise"

No way! I couldn't believe it; this woman was my sensei. A _Hyuuga_ was my sensei. As far as I knew none from that clan had ever been one, they rarely associated out of their own clan outside of missions. Well, I suppose in a way this was her mission, but even so. As if on cue the woman looked directly at me and I felt like iron had been poured into my spine as I sat up dead straight and met her gaze directly, though respectfully.

"Well then, now that the matter is settled; Kisa, come with me. We will be joining your friends here for the remainder of the day" she said while beckoning to me as she turned to leave. Quickly packing up my things I was on her tail only seconds later, with the others all behind us as well. It seemed we were heading to the rooftops and soon were seated on one that doubled as a form of scenic garden. Kakashi made himself comfortable perching on the railing, while Shirnah was seated on the floor with her back against the railing and one knee bent; her hand propped on top. It was then that occurred to me that, aside from the outfit, my Sensei was a bit of a tomboy since that pose screamed no-nonsense.

**Shirnah's POV**

"Alright, we will begin by introducing ourselves" Kakashi stated once everyone was comfortable. Seeing that he was sitting up on the rails behind me I leaned back to rest my head against his leg. I could feel him tense for a moment and wondered why, since this was really nothing new between us, but then simply put it down to the fact that it had been two years since he had last let anyone that close. As I glanced up at him, however, he relaxed again and nodded to let me know it was alright. Meanwhile the four children looked confused.

"Why don't you go first, Sensei, to show us how it's done?" Sakura suggested then, although it sounded more like a demand and I raised my eyebrow a little. It sounded to me like she had a fair bit to learn, just like the other two Kakashi now had to instruct. I could even hear the man behind me sigh a bit and hid a smirk. But obviously he decided to humour her anyway.

"Me? I'm Kakashi Hatake. Things I like and things I hate… I don't feel like telling you that" I couldn't keep from dropping my head slightly and sweat dropping at his answer. This man never changed. "Dreams for the future… never really thought about it. As for my hobbies—I have lots of hobbies"

Well, over all, he wasn't lying. He did have a lot of hobbies and the things he liked wouldn't really be suited for under age ears in some ways. Though his answer was amusing, it was still annoying.

"Really, Kakashi?" I asked sarcastically and all I received was his signature smile in return, well, what I could see of it. Hell, I couldn't really be annoyed with him when he smiled like that. It was just too cute, like when he was a young boy and used to smile so much more.

Following his example, the kids started to introduce themselves one by one, starting with Naruto. I didn't know too much about the boy in recent years, but I had known of him well enough before leaving that I wasn't at all surprised when his entire introduction was about ramen and becoming Hokage. It was only at that, that I stopped laughing, because of all his speech that was not something to laugh at. In fact, I believed that one day he would live out his dream. Sakura's intro was so terrible I tuned out. All it was about was Saskue and had I of continued to listen I am sure that by the end I would have wanted to slap her.

Then it came to Saskue. His story was one that everyone in the village knew of, at least those of the older generations. So again, it was no surprise when his 'dream' for life was to restore his clan and seek revenge on 'a certain someone'. Namely his older brother, the one who wiped out the entire Uchiha clan and left Saskue as the rather dark child he is now. At his declaration, Kakashi and I once again shared a knowing glance and I nodded slightly. We would have to keep an eye on him.

"Very good" I muttered, and then looked to Kisa, hoping that she would be the more normal of the four. She seemed to take her cue willingly.

"I am Kisa of the Leaf. I like the colour pink, drawing and many other things, including ninja training. I don't really hate anything, because hate is the path that leads only to more negativity. I have lots of hobbies and my dream is to become a great kunoichi, like my cousin, Lady Tsunade of the Sannin or the Silent Hunter"

Now that was the last thing I had been expecting and instantly my eyebrows rose as a smirked crept onto my face, while Kakashi chuckled and looked down at me with an unwavering gaze. But I could tell that Kisa was somewhat offended at my laughing, so I stepped in to explain.

"Now I see what the Hokage was thinking. I like a few things and hate a lot of things. I have many hobbies but my most enjoyable is a long and clam walk to de-stress. I have no real dreams, merely immediate goals. My name is Shirnah Hyuuga, otherwise known as the Silent Hunter"


	3. Chapter 3

**Konoha's Elite Ninja - The Hunter and the Cub 3**

**I do not own Naruto, nor any of its characters. They are all product and property of ****Masashi Kishimoto****.**

**I do, however, own all original characters, created with permission of my friends to add them in the story.**

**Kisa's POV**

I and my three fellow students sat in stunned shock and awe at the woman before us. It was true that there were many ninja in Konoha that were renowned in their own way. The Sannin were only one example. Being in the presence of the Copy Ninja was humbling enough, but the Silent Hunter as well. She wasn't as infamous as the Sannin or Kakashi, because her name spoke for itself. Most who came to know of her didn't last long enough to speak of her after. But for those that were lucky enough to hear her title, and live, the name was one of those that had become legendary. Knowing who she was now also left me speechless. Apparently she found this amusing, for the woman chuckled and shook her head slightly.

"Careful, you'll catch flies," she said, indicating the way that my jaw had gone slack. With a slight click I closed my mouth and she nodded. "That's better. Let me just say now that just because I'm flattered, I won't go easy on you, Kisa"

"No, Sensei" I said with a nod once I had finally found my voice. I wouldn't want her to go easy on me, anyway. The life of a ninja was by no means an easy one, so the sooner I started preparing myself for that, the better.

"Um, Shirnah Sensei… may I ask you something?" Naruto asked suddenly, in his usual timid manner that usually meant he was about to broach a delicate subject. He could, a lot of the time, be far too naïve and blunt for his own good, but there were times when even he knew better than to blurt out a question hastily.

Obviously Shirnah had some idea of what he was wanting to ask, because she sighed slightly and closed her eyes. When I looked closer I understood as well. Naruto's gaze was mostly trained on her left eye, so he had obviously clued onto something that previously the rest of us had missed. But when I looked closer I could actually understand. As a Hyuuga both of her eyes were naturally white, but the left… it was dull, lifeless. In other words, unseeing.

"You may, Naruto, but I think I already know what it is you are going to ask. So let me say it straight to you now. Yes, I am blind in my left eye" Shirnah said softly, and I watched as Kakashi winced slightly and unconsciously raised a hand to the left side of his face in empathy, his lone eye trained on the woman sitting at his feet.

**Kakashi's POV**

Once Shirnah had admitted openly to Naruto of her weakness, I was drawn back to the conversation I had with her only moments before.

_As the Hokage called Shirnah back, no doubt to debrief her about her mission and why she had been gone the past two years, I waited outside patiently. As I leaned against the wall with my eyes closed, just waiting for her to venture out, I was caught by surprise when the door opened and the Third stuck his head out._

"_Come on in, Kakashi. You may as well hear this as well" He said, obviously knowing my reasons for waiting and wanting to spare Shirnah the task of having to repeat herself. As I walked into the room I saw the woman in question kneeling before the Hokage's seat, her head slightly bowed and her fists clenched in her lap. Silently I went and knelt at her side, watching her closely until the Hokage asked her to continue. She had evidently already given him the official report on her mission, which was to remain secret for the time being I guessed, but now all that was said was to be off record._

"_Now tell us, Shirnah. What happened?" The Third asked her kindly, his tone that of a concerned grandfather. As she took a breath, I saw the woman shudder. As an outcast of the Hyuuga clan she hadn't had the easiest life, so anything that could make her this anxious couldn't be good._

"_I completed the mission that you requested of me within six months, as estimated. I was on my way back to the village when I was ambushed just outside of the Land of Lightening. They are still quite determined to get their hands on the Byakugan. But anyway… I managed to fight off the first attack, but the second wave was even stronger and far better prepared for my abilities. They managed to knock me down and capture me"_

_Unbidden, a soft growl echoed in my throat and the Hokage held up a hand to silence me, though judging by the look on his face he wasn't at all happy about this news, either. But now that she had started, it was best to let Shirnah continue, so that she could simply say it, and get it over with._

"_They locked me away deep in Kumogakure. I was in a room with no light, no sound and it contained powerful seals to suppress my chakra. I was useless to save myself and had no way of contacting anyone from Konoha. But I wasn't the one they truly wanted. Their true goal was still Lady Hinata, one of the main family and with the purest Byakugan. So they thought perhaps they would be able to trade me. They realised how wrong they were, though, when they found the information that I am an outcast of the clan, and not considered worthy of trade, despite my moniker of Silent Hunter"_

_Here she started to trail off and I hesitated only a moment before placing my arm around her shoulders. There were none others that I got so readily close to, but Siri was always the exception. I'd known her too long and been through too much with her, to turn my back when she needed someone. I was rewarded when she placed her hand over mine._

"_Carry on, Shirnah. What happened then?" The Hokage asked her softly, not forcing her, but gently nudging her to tell us everything if she was able._

"_The Raikage decided that any Byakugan was better than none, so ordered that they take mine. They tried, they really did" Shirnah said, this time being the one to growl as she fingered the scar over her eye, one that hadn't been there when she had left. It was faint, barely noticeable until one looked really closely. "They tried to take my eye to implant it in one of their own people. But I wasn't about to allow it. At the time I made up my mind that I would rather lose my eye than let them have it. So when they went to take it, I made sure that all they succeeded in doing was cutting my eye, rather than removing it. As you noticed by now, this left me blind. This also irritated the Raikage to no end. In his frustration he grew careless and I managed to escape. Forgive me if I do not give you the details on how. I attacked no one from the Lang of Lightning, not wishing to start anything between their village and ours. Also, I was weak, still drained from the seals and from the injury to my eye, I wouldn't have stood a chance if I had tried to fight"_

"_How long did they capture you for?"_

"… _A year"_

_Unconsciously, the grip of my hand tightened on Shirnah's shoulder. But it wasn't over, obviously, for we had only covered a year and a half. There was still months left between her escape and when she had returned to the village. But one questions was nagging at me and I couldn't keep from asking._

"_Why didn't you send for us? Asuma, Anko or I…"_

"_I couldn't" Shirnah muttered softly, and I noticed the Third nodding slightly. He was always much more perceptive than us younger generations. "Physically I could have. I did think about sending Sutoriku for you, Kakashi, but… Emotionally I just couldn't. I was weak, injured and ashamed. The only thoughts that I had in my mind was that I had to overcome it all. It took longer than I expected. It took me the first month alone to recover from the prolonged suppression of my chakra. Then I had to get used to only being able to see with one eye on an everyday basis. You should know how that does, Kakahi, better than anyone"_

_I did. After I had lost my own left eye I had to learn to live with only seeing through my right from day to day. It took a while, and I refused help from anyone during that time, as well. It was only once I could get around on my own that I had accepted any kind of support. That was after several instances of crashing into doorframes, of course._

"_It wasn't just learning to move around, either. It was learning to sense what was around me and to fight again. I couldn't risk returning and training here. I had to relearn all my techniques. Needless to say there is a large clearing now where before there was not one"_

_I chuckled, able to well imagine how the landscape looked after being subjected to six months of Shirnah's sort of training._

"_Fortunately, when I activate my Byakugan both eyes still function normally. I can't understand why, myself, but I'm grateful for it. But that's why it took me so long to return. I couldn't bring myself to come back to Konoha until I was well and truly ready. Until I had returned to being as strong as I was when I left, so I could continue to protect the village and its people" Shirnah continued to explain, her expression now one I knew well. It was full of confidence and a fierce protective nature that she was infamous for in the village._

"_I am sorry, Shirnah. I cannot tell you how much it pleases me to see you returned safely now, though I regret that it was after so long and after such circumstances" The Hokage said, reaching out his arms. Never one to pass down an opportunity for a hug, Shirnah crept forward to accept it. After all, the Hogake was like a grandfather to us all._

"_Thank you, sir. Now, I feel we have kept our genin waiting long enough. Kakashi, come"_

**Shirnah's POV**

Realising that Kakashi had drifted off into thought, I lightly nudged his leg with my elbow to bring him back to the present as Naruto asked me how I had lost my sight. But that I was not willing to tell them just yet.

"That is a story for another day, Naruto. Now all of your ought to return home and prepare. Tomorrow we will be meeting in the training grounds at 5 am" I said with a smirked, flashing my right canine tooth. Catching onto my thoughts, Kakashi put in his two cents.

"Oh, and don't bother eating breakfast tomorrow or else you'll puke"

Rolling my eyes as Kakashi's students blanched and looked terrified, I muttered 'charming' and got to my feet. Brushing myself off, I then folded my arms, sighing as the thought of returning home struck me. I had missed my bed, but I knew it would take a while still before I could get into it. The place would be an absolute mass of dust. But I put that from my mind long enough to stop Kisa before she was out of earshot.

"Kisa, bring anything that you will feel you need for the training tomorrow. You will be facing me and there will be no holding back. I wish to see what you are capable of. So bring your best"

"I will, Sensei" she replied, but before she could ask any questions I jumped away, Kakashi quickly following.

"Why are you tailing me?" I asked over my shoulder, seeing the man had his nose in his book. By Kami, he was still reading those? Guess I shouldn't be surprised. As far as I knew, he'd never had any romantic attachments. Those books were the nearest he ever got.

"Well, you've been gone for two years. I thought you might like some company for a bit, and perhaps a hand to clean up" Kakashi said with a lazy shrug, glancing at me over the tip of his book. At this I rolled my eyes.

"Tidy you may be, domesticated you are not, Hatake"

As his eye lit up with a hidden smile, I knew then he was up to something. There had been a brief moment between our leaving the meeting with the Hokage and arriving to meet our genin that he had disappeared. I hadn't thought much of it at the time, but now I had the suspicion that he had been up to something sneaky. Sure enough, he put his book away and put in an extra burst of speed to catch up with me, finding my hand with his and tugging me a little faster towards my house.

"True, I'm not. But fortunately I know people who are" he said in as near to a sing song voice as he got. Sure enough, when we came to be standing on the rooftop opposite to my place I saw what he had planned and my eyes narrowed in a playful glare.

"Oh, you are such a dead man…"


End file.
